


A Tug

by SkarpetkaMroku



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 22:52:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11114568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkarpetkaMroku/pseuds/SkarpetkaMroku
Summary: Scott signed for this one way trip into Unknown, because he was tired. Dead tired of constant disappointment of not finding his soulmate, of feeling this missing piece inside him, never clicking into place, rattling around, tearing his insides with sharp edges. But even now he could felt neat letters carved into skin of his wrist, two words that marked  him for life. Gil Brodie.





	A Tug

**Author's Note:**

  * For [poisonflowers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonflowers/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Across Darkspace](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547306) by [poisonflowers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonflowers/pseuds/poisonflowers). 



> Have you read Across Darkspace by poisonflowers? No? You should! It's amazing and without it, this one can be more than confusing. Personally I was so fixed on this fic, that before i could stop myself i started writing about first meeting of Scott and Gil. Except, half way through i suddenly realized my Scott is nothing like poisonflower's. I am sorry, i swear i tried :(
> 
> Also do remember English is not my native language, so if you find any mistakes, feel free point them out to me!
> 
> Enjoy!

-For the fifth time, Harry – said Scott closing his eyes and sighed deeply, while rubbing mechanically his chest.– I feel fiiiiine.

He didn't even have to open his eyes to see the unconvinced look that the doctor was throwing at him. Smiling softly, he added:

-I mean beside general fatigue and a headache and soreness and-Shit, my throat is so fucking dry. - he grumbled, counting on his fingers at the same time. He had to fight grin when he heard Harry's irritated tsk at the curse. - I would not refuse some good, old, cold water. And, emm, what else? Oh, my feet are numb... Actually I kinda don't feel them at all. - he said and this sudden thought hit him so hard, he opened his eyes in alarm. – Do I still have feet, doctor? - he inquired panicked, cursing his jelly-like limbs, that made it impossible for him to even stand up on his own, and angled his head to watch Harry closely.

Doctor, on the other hand, didn’t even bother to raise his head from the omnitool where he was making nonstop notations while answering with a tired, monotone voice. It felt as though he was talking to a kid.

-Yes, Ryder, you do still have feet. What. A. Shock.

Yeaaah sure. Scott somehow was not so convinced with his deadpan assurance. That's why he slowly pushed up, until he raised his torso, few centimetres up. His weakened arms trembled even at this small effort but at least he could see his feet. Both of them! Hallelujah! Damn, he could even see himself wiggling his toes inside shoes. t was so beautiful that he almost teared before his arms gave out and he dropped back onto the medbay's cot with a loud thud.

-It's not like I did not trust you Harry. - said Scott realising that doctor was, at least, looking at him. Or rather glaring at him. - I just had to see on my own.

-You Ryders, you are too stubborn for your own good. - he muttered tiredly.

Scott laughed to himself slowly feeling his good humor leave in waves, making him again, face his shitty situation. He stared motionlessly at ceiling, feeling his heart beat in his throat.

-Well of course there is also the emotional trauma. - he admitted, trying to pass it off as another joke. Harry's sympathised gaze made him squirm, and he tried to hide how uncomfortable it made him in a forced laugh. - Like looots of emotional trauma. Truth to be told somebody could make a soap opera out of my sad miserable life. Or a video game. A weird video game. “Lie motionlessly at medbay's bed while half of your family is dead and the remaining half is doing sick-ass, dangerous, exploring of the New Galaxy – Simulator” - He always rambled when nervous and honestly, he was terrified right now.

Scott signed for this one way trip into Unknown, because he was tired. Dead tired of constant disappointment of not finding his soulmate, of feeling this missing piece inside him, never clicking into place, rattling around, tearing his insides with sharp edges.

So many years since his first travel through Mass Relay, since his Soulmate mark appeared. All spend at finding his second half. Even now he could felt neat letters carved into skin of his wrist, two words that marked him for life. Gil Brodie.

He knew for sure that his Soulmate was a dick, the biggest dick in his life, for torturing him like this. For letting Scott seek him, anxiously checking every single one traveller going through Arcturus relay. Never with success. There was a line about how much a man could bare and not falter, how much disappointment he could live through, how many waves of loneliness survive. There was a line for Scott. And once he crossed it, he could not come back. That was why he decided to give up, to stop worrying and find at least a little excitement in his life.

And what did he find instead? The dead black emptiness of unconsciousness. It could be only better when he woke up, yes? Well… no, quite opposite, truth be told.

It was only an hour since he had woken up and not only had he found out that his dad… his dad was dead but Sara, his poor sister, was made into the Pathfinder. He could almost see her reaction at this news. Denial, anger, probably murmuring to herself, “This is the worst trip ever”. Not that he did not understand her. Who the hell would even want to become Pathfinder? All this pressure and high expectation. Well, thanks no, Scott would rather not involve himself in this.

But… Shit. He knew his big sister need help, need him as much as he need her. Even when they weren't together, there was this thread of understanding linking them together. They were two halves of whole and he would go through hell for her even though he could not stop himself from being so angry at her.

Because it hurt. It hurt as hell to learn that their father was dead not from her, from the closest person he had, but from Harry. She did not said one word to him about it.

Sure, he had some lingering memories of her talking to him… in his sleep? But it was so surreal – not having body at all, being just a drifting voice in the abyss, with no senses at all and additionally hearing Sara's voice explaining something about his soulmate to him? from nowhere? Somewhere? Maybe everywhere? - that was enough to make him panic really hard and as it seemed, throw himself into one big tantrum and tear down the connection. He was so worked up he could almost believe that he had just reaaally weird nightmare.

But, shit, it was his reality now, wasn't it?

Alec Ryder, his father, was dead.

And he felt guilty as hell for not feeling sad. Maybe not feeling sad yet. It somehow could not accrued to him, that his dad was really dead. Laying silently in the medbay, he waited for Harry to say that he was not dead dead, but he... found a planet, asteroid, anything really, that was so fucking far from Hyperion that communication was almost not existent and it was like he was dead, while he… wasn’t really.

Beside would that change  anything? Even when his dad was alive, he was almost like the dead for them.

He winced feeling even more guilty thinking like that.

This is all fuck up, he thought rubbing his chest with one hand with a deep sigh.

-Scott do you feel pain in your chest? - asked Harry, shattering silence, at least noticing this move.

-What? - reflected Scott, abruptly torn away from his thoughts. - Ah no, not really.

Well… it wasn’t exactly a lie. He did not feel any pain, it was more pressure? Close but not precisely. Scott could not find words to describe it but he wasn’t worried, he felt it before, every time he was nervous. Like somebody sat on his chest, well if he were to be true to himself, he would have to admit that it never felt so intense before now. There was pressure and tightness and a bit of pain but there was also this thing, this… tug inside him. Like somebody tied a string to one of his ribs and pulled suddenly. It was so weird feeling that he could not stop himself from rubbing his chest from time to time.

There was also this tension inside him and he suddenly felt that he had to sit instead of lying like dead at the bed. Right now this instant.

-Harry. Harry, hey! Harry! Help me up a bit. - he said raising his arms in direction of doctor as much as he could.

-Absolutely no. - cut firmly, Doctor. - You are in no condition to stand up. Scott Ryder, lie down calmly or I will assure our dear Pathfinder that you are also in no condition to be visited.

Scott couldn’t stop his deep gasp of betrayal.

-You would not! - he yelled, outraged.

-Try me. - said Harry in deadpan manner going back to his notes.

-Come onnnnn! - whined Scott, wiggling his hands in the air. - Please! Pretty please! Pleaaaaaase. - he said making his best puppy eyes at the doctor, who was currently watching him, a bit shocked - truth to be told - from under raised eyebrows.

-You Ryders are going to be the dead of me. - He sighted, carefully helping Scott sit.

-Well, you are family, we have a duty to make your life miserable.

-Wow, thanks Scott. - he said, rolling his eyes.

-Do not thank me, citizen. - answered Ryder at the same time rising his hand to chest at the sudden tug inside him. - It's my duty.

He almost asked if his sister really was coming - only about sixty time through this hour, making Harry gritted his teeth in irritation  - when they both heard loud and quick footsteps. But before they could exchange curious glances, somebody stormed into medbay, halting only few meters from them, to bend in half, panting heavily.

-Shit – cursed stranger, trying to catch breath. His voice was  hoarse from the effort, but Scott could still heard deep timbre of his voice. Voice that made shiver ran down his spine. That alone was enough to make him gape at man, interested. - I knew I should have started Jill's damn cardio training, instead of constantly “forgetting about it” - he murmured to himself, making Ryder chuckle softly.

That was probably what pulled Harry out of shock, as he cleared his throat before asking:

-Hello? How can I help you?

Man straightened slowly. Scott's blue eyes met his hazel and Ryder’s breath hitched while he drowned in deep bronze of stranger gaze, his eyes were a storm of unnamed emotions. He couldn’t stop silent curse escaping his lips. Damn if he didn't have the most beautiful eyes Scott had ever seen.

He felt his chest tighten and his hand unconsciously travelled across his sternum at the sudden pull inside him. He was nervous while waiting for his sister and sudden, unexplained appearance of this honey-like-voice-and-intense-eyes man did not help at all. Especially considering that he did not look away from Scott for even a moment, not once breaking their linked gaze.

-Yes, sorry. I am Tempest's engineer... - said stranger still breathless, but this information was enough to send Scott's heart into intense staccato.

-From my sister’s ship. - he whispered with dreadful realisation. - Did she send you instead of her? Is she okay? - Scott almost stood up from bed, filled to bring with horror, for only one possible solution, why he was here instead of her. But of course, his limbs did betray him again, forcing him to sit still, waiting nervously for answer.

-No, no, Sara is fine. I am sure she will be here any minute. - said man at least slowing his breath.

-So why are you here Mr…? - asked Harry, seemed equally surprised as Ryder.

-I am… I am Gil Brodie. - said stranger at least, almost hesitantly. His eyes bored into Scott's with equal amount of nervousness and yearning.

Gil. Gil Brodie.

Everything crashed at once into Scott's awareness. He heard Sara's excited voice in his head once again. "I found your soulmate. Gil, he's an engineer on my ship!”. His Soulmate. This asshole, that was stealing sleep from him for so many nights. The person he longed for so long, right before his eyes.

And he felt it at least, the strongest tug ever, pushing missing piece of him into place. All clicking together, like the finest mechanism ever made.

He didn’t think. Scott only knew that he need to touch this man, his missing piece, his soulmate. And before anybody could protest he pushed himself off the bed to his feet. Only few steps between them, when his damn legs gave up under him and he fall over, quickly drawing closer to meet the floor.

Only to be suddenly caught in the arms of his soulmate.

Scott felt his mind go blind. It just felt so... right. No nervousness, no tightness in his chest, no wondering if he will say something stupid. Just… this deep to bones feeling of belonging.

And, fuck! No man had a right to smell this good.

That's why, Scott decided to just go with flow, and fighting really hard not to roll his head on Gil's shoulder and hide his face in the crock of his Soulmate's neck, to inhale his beautiful smell, he said with hoarse voice:

-Look, It's only our first meeting and I have already fallen for you.

Gil helped him sit back at the bed and took a seat beside him, at the same time groaning internally.

-Please no, everything but the puns. – he murmured, but it was obvious that he was trying really hard not to smile.

Gil’s hands slipped down Scott's arms, from his shoulders, where they were supporting him, to his hands and stopped there, grasping his fingers firmly, making Scott’s skin tingle with pleasurable shiver.

There were no words between them, but for the for the first time in his life, Scott felt no need to fill silence with meaningless chatter. They were so focused at each other, their shocked and amazed gazes locked together, that they did not even noticed when Harry, after long minute of watching them both, chuckled to himself, with sudden understanding and smiling softly, left the room.

-Can I? – said suddenly Gil, after long time of mutual silence, making Scott blink with shock.

-What? – he murmured unintelligently, watching intently his Soulmate's face.

He felt drunk with heavy happiness. Scott never expected to find his soulmate, not after so many years of unsuccessful search. Truth to be told, he was sure his second half stayed behind in Milky Way, long dead at the time he opened his eyes first time in Andromeda. That was probably only way for him to be free of burden of never finding him, but this knowledge also made his heart broke in so many pieces when he was preparing for travel.

Gil’s fingers lightly traced edges of Scott’s sleeve, right above his Soulmate mark, tearing him away from his thoughts.

His mark. When he felt asleep, he was expecting to be rid of it, to find only blank skin. But once he woke up there was so much drama, he hadn’t even a moment to check.

Scott gulped, feeling nervousness coming back, all black scenarios suddenly alive in his mind. What if…?

-Yeah… - he said, embarrassed at how his voice broke on this one syllable. He cleared his throat, blinking sudden wetness away from his eyes. – Yeah, sure.

Gil’s smile was bright and calmed him in a way he could not explained, nor understand. His fingers traced every inch of Scott’s exposed skin as he rolled his sleeve, making Ryder bite his bottom lip not to groan at the contact.

And suddenly there it was. They both loosened shocked but relieved breaths at the sight of two words, inked into his skin.

-Fucking hell. – murmured Gil tracing his own name with feather like touches. – I never expected… - he said and shook his head in disbelief.

Scott was frozen in place feeling suddenly too much, too much to share, to find appropriate words. But then he saw silver glint in Gil’s eyes and reaching for his Soulmate's hand, he suddenly found himself saying:

-I was looking for you. – he heard deep sound leaving Gil’s throat, almost whimper.

-It was… hard to find you. – said Gil after moment, leaving Scott’s hand to show him his own mark. Ryder, it said and Scott almost chuckled at how laconic it was. – But I tried… for a moment. – he admitted wincing in so comic way that Scott could not stop bursting into laughter.

-I almost lost a job few times because I was looking for you too hard, you dick! – he laughed and shoved him jokingly.

-Well, sorry! Did you know that only in Citadel there was almost 12 thousands Ryders?! Try to find this one Ryder, in all of this, asshole! Couldn’t you have any more popular name? Oh what am I saying? You could be Smith! – answered him Gil, laughing as well.

They both wheezed silently, calming down. Somewhere in the middle of this outburst Scott ended up so close to Gil, he could feel his quick breath dancing on angles of his face, while one of his Soulmate’s hand found its way to his nape.

-I was always looking for you. – he said at least, breathing heavily, feeling Gil's eyes linking with his, before they fell down outlining his lips with intense gaze.

-I found you. – said just Brodie, not giving him even a moment before his lips fell on his.

His kiss was intense - not a typical first kiss - but connection full of passion and fervor. It told story of years of longing, of not feeling whole, of looking, of waiting. A second half of Scott’s story. And he could not stop himself from cupping Gil’s cheeks with his hands, bringing him even closer, when he combed his fingers through Scott’s hair, making him shiver with pleasure.

-I got you. – he whispered parting from Gil’s mouth, watching intently his Soulmate clouded eyes with desire and happiness, before he come back to devouring him.

He could feel Gil’s soft tongue tangling with his. His lips, so decadent, on his. He was burning with need to feel his skin on his own, to touch every inch of his Soulmate's body, to learn how to make him gasp, moan in passion. It was feeling he longed to extend to eternity, but he could feel weakness of his body catching up with him.

He put hand on Gil’s chest pushing slowly away, and rested his forehead on his shoulder, trying really hard to catch a breath.

-I would… I would really like to … fuck… to kiss you like that… go all the way even…but fuck, man… it would probably kill me right now. – he panted heavily, cursing internally how weak he was.

-Shit! – said Gil catching his face in his hands, raising his head. – Sorry! I forgot, are you all right? – he asked looking a bit panicked.

Scott chuckled silently, leaning into his Soulmate's touch at the same time covering one of his hands with his own. He felt so content, being subjected to his concern. This warm feeling, flooding his veins – well, he could get used to it.

-More than all right. You just need to give me a moment. – he assured softly caressing Gil’s hand, making his soulmate lean closer and rest his forehead on Scott’s.

-So we need to find other proper activity while waiting for your sister. – his eyes glinted suddenly with excitement and he smiled widely. – How about a game of poker?

-Why, Mr. Brodie! We just met and you already want to ruin me?– said Scott chuckling, caressing Gil's nose with his own. – I hear there is there's a strip version. We will not be doing that. - he remarked, feeling corners of his lips quirking up.

-Not how I’d want to get you naked anyway. But believe me, if we played strip poker, you would end up naked. - he assured with a wink full of unspoken promises.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Had fun? Feel free to chat with me on my tumblr:  
> http://skarpetkamroku.tumblr.com/  
> Also forgive i have no idea how to make it into actuall link


End file.
